Brand Communities

… reason to keep coming back for more. The big idea behind building an online community is to create a destination for consumers to find authentic and helpful information. When that destination lives within your owned web properties, rather than on a social media platform, it gives you more control over the information they consume, the people…

…, and certainly way more than any one of us can possibly process. In the online world, banner blindness is a coping mechanism, one that enables us to read articles without breaking our concentration. That got us thinking: Can brands benefit from digital detox? We all treasure unplugging during vacations. Will brands benefit by offering consumers…

…, especially with the extensive targeting that Facebook ads offer now. You can actually use Facebook ads to remind people to look for your email, or even for a direct mail campaign. These highly targeted campaigns are a great option as a secondary marketing tactic to reinforce the primary, more traditional tactics. This looks like the beginning…

The Customer Journey From John Jantsch’s perspective, marketing has changed so completely in the past years not because of social media but because buying has changed. The focus, therefore, should not be on the tools or the tips for marketers. Marketers and small business owners should instead be changing their approaches to selling and to marketing. “Nobody wakes up ever and says, ‘Gosh.

…Playing with Experimentation Most people wouldn’t create a company that essential takes Google head-on, but Gabriel Weinberg is not most people. In 2007, when he was dissatisfied with Google’s search results, he started building his own solution, and DuckDuckGo was born. Today, their main differentiator (other than the different search mechanism…

…, Marji knew that she needed those people to feel connected to the brand, too. She started tweaking the content she was releasing so that tradespeople could share it with their followers, and it would make sense to their audience. At the same time, she was asking designers to share photos of their work incorporating Kohler products. “We have two…

… YouTube channels, she was able to improve the videos over time. But she started by shooting with the equipment she had access to (usually a phone camera) with little or no editing. Create an Authentic Relationship So how can brands and agencies best interact with bloggers like Jenny who have these passion projects? Jenny’s advice is to pay…

… to my success in the world of biz dev. While there’s been no shortage of articles describing community managers as the future CEOs of the world or a number of other positions, I wanted to hone in on a more natural transition and look at why great community management equals great business development. Note: When I talk about business development…

… for excellence in social customer service will keep changing as customers’ expectations are raised and other brands rise to meet the challenge. It sounds like Dan and his team will be ready for those changes when they come. Click the play button to listen here: Read the full show highlights here: http://www.convinceandconvert.com/social-pros-podcast/how-to-respond-to-every-social-media-inquiry-in-an-average-of-19-minutes/ Related…

Taking Customer Service Online Discover was the first credit card company to offer 24-hour phone support, and now they’re leading the way in social media customer support, as well. They answer questions on Twitter and Facebook from 9am to midnight EST every day. Dan Gingiss has a team of about 15 customer service representatives in a call center in Utah.

…Cutting Down to Expand It’s no mistake that Nick’s title has changed from Social Media Channel Manager to Digital Strategist. Social media is no longer just a job title; it is a skill set that permeates the entire brand and its strategy. Nick says, “Where possible, we’re integrating social into every tactic that we deploy.” SAP has set up…

…Social Infrastructure This week’s podcast guest, Martin Shervington, was scheduled a long time ago, but his appearance comes at a particularly appropriate time given the recent announcement about changes in Google+ leadership. The world’s foremost Google+ authority will give us his thoughts on the strangely unsubstantiated Techcrunch article…

Google+ has never gotten the respect its creator hoped, let alone gained much ground on its supposed target, Facebook. Now, Google's attempt at a social network has lost its leader and chief evangelist, Vic Gundotra, who announced today that he's leaving Google after almost eight years at the company. Gundotra, a [...]

… campaign to the Pepsi MAX Jeff Gordon test drive video. These campaigns are designed to turn heads and generate discussion, but it seems like the most successful campaign would be the one to drive long-term engagement with the brand. So far, American Greetings’ hope that the emotional video would catch on has certainly played out well…

Since the counterculture '60s, Stewart Brand has been creating our internet-worked world. Now, with biotech accelerating four times faster than digital technology, Stewart Brand has a bold new plan ...